


Come Home

by The Aberrant (the_aberrant)



Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-05
Updated: 2014-06-05
Packaged: 2018-02-03 11:52:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1743737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_aberrant/pseuds/The%20Aberrant
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Chrome had expected the abandoned building she stumbled upon to be empty. She had expected to live her entire life on her own. (She was wrong.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Come Home

**Author's Note:**

  * For [nougamiis](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=nougamiis).



She stands before a dark house with a cracked window and a peeling door. Surely, a house in such poor condition couldn't be inhabited by anyone?

A house as empty as herself, she thinks.

It's perfect.

But she knocks twice on the door, a soft rat-a-tat before Chrome presses her ear against the door. She doesn't hear any footsteps, no scurrying of animal feet behind the door. She's surprised that it opens even when she leans all her measly weight against it, taking a step indoors before calling out hesitantly. **"H-hello? I-is, um, anyone home...?"**

Despite the fact that there was no response, she didn't feel the least bit safe. But it was raining outside, and she was cold and soaked like a drowned rat, just about as scrawny as one too. Chrome closes the door behind herself, carefully, before her single eye glances at the floor. She's leaving wet footprints everywhere, but if no one lives here, it shouldn't be a problem.

She'll dry off here, fall asleep for a little while, and then move on. If she was lucky, there may be some preserved food lying about. She'd take some with her, as much that she could wrap in the grubby cardigan --

**"What are you doing here?"**

It's a boy's voice that makes her freeze, and it's coming from the left. Slowly, Chrome turns her head, trembling, thinking to herself, caught red-handed. Her single eye is looking for the nearest exit; squatters tended to be unfriendly, even violent when defending their territory.

But instead, he says, **"Never mind. You'll do no good outside in the rain."**

She gazes at him with her arms crossed over her chest. He's tall, but only because she's small, and his gray eyes hold an intense look in them, almost as if he were threatening her to stay. He's being generous, she tells herself, and generosity should never be turned down. But still, words of, **"U-um, I-I should leave. I-I don't want to, um, trouble you --"** rise to her lips.

**"You're troubling me by arguing."**

She doesn't get the chance to say anything back (not that she would have, even if given the opportunity), because he's already disappeared from what must have been the living room. He's back before long with an old blanket in his hands and tosses it over her head. **"Use this,"** he says, never giving her the opportunity to turn his offer down.

When she finally pulls the blanket off her head, Chrome notices a small ball of yellow feathers perched upon his shoulder. But as soon as she's wrapped the blanket around her shoulders, he's disappeared again. He moves quickly, and she's completely overwhelmed by everything that has happened in the past few minutes.

The boy returns, raising a brow, because Chrome is squatting in the corner of the room, huddled up like a scared animal. He taps her shoulder, shoving an open can of soup at her.

**"Here. Eat this. I won't accept 'no' for an answer."** And then, **"... what are you doing in the corner."**

**"U-um, making myself small?"**

She only needs one look at his face to see just how ridiculous he tinks she's being. Chrome reaches out, taking the can of chicken soup, only because of the fierce and vaguely threatening expression he's giving her. It's cold and it's salty, but she drinks it anyways. The first rule she had learned while living on the streets was "food is food". Still, she can't help but feel incredibly rude for waltzing into this boy's house (he did live here, didn't he?), and now she was eating his food. His hair is slightly disheveled, and she thinks to herself how his frame is slightly smaller than what other boys his own age should have been.

She should at least ask for his name.

**"I'm, um, th-thank you for the soup,"** she says. **"It's very good. ... U-um, mister? I-I'm Chrome. Do you have a name?"**

He's shrugged his jacket off his shoulders and is in the process of putting his arms through its sleeves before he responds with, **"Hibari. Hibari Kyoya."**

This was the domain of Hibari Kyoya, then, and she was a guest in this silent house. Now that she knows his name, she feels like a proper guest, feels comfortable enough to sit down and sip on her small can of soup. She nearly expects him to sit down with her, and part of her is relieved when he doesn't. Quite frankly, he scares her with his steel eyes. Instead of sharing a meal with her, he announces, **"I'll be down the hall. If you come into my room, I'll bite you to death."** She doesn't quite understand what he means, but Chrome nods earnestly anyways, swallowing a bit at the threat.

And with that, he disappears down the hall, leaving her all alone. The only company she has now is the little yellow canary that had fluttered off Hibari's shoulder and was now sitting next to her foot. Perhaps the bird had taken an interest in her due to the fact that Hibari seemed like someone who lived on his own. Still, she'd been shocked by his hospitality, and would have expected more people to come by if this was how guests were treated.

Chrome lifts the can to her mouth, taking great care not to accidentally slice open her lips. And while she drinks, she thinks to herself, he must be a lonely person.

* * *

Chrome fully intended on leaving first thing in the morning. Usually, she was an early riser. What she hadn't expected was for Hibari to already be up long before her, returning from wherever he'd gone with two small loaves of bread. He set both of them down beside her, eyes narrowing as he began to speak.

**"Why did you sleep on the floor? There's a couch,"** he says with that dangerous look in his eyes again.

**"I-I..."** In reality, Chrome had no excuse for sleeping on the floor. She didn't mind doing so; Chrome was used to it. The hardwood floor was more comfortable than the concrete sidewalks that she usually made her bed. But she began to wonder, was he insulted that she hadn't utilized his furnishings when he'd offered them to her?

**"I... I didn't want to -- I-I didn't want to, um, t-to trouble you,"** she replies stumbling all over her words. Her hands fly up to her mouth, covering it, realizing just how foolish she must sound. She can't even speak correctly.

She can't do _anything_ right.

**"It's fine. I have my own bed,"** he insists, to which Chrome's shoulders finally relax. The last thing she wants is to impose on him.

Hibari settles down next to her, breaking a corner of the bread off and holding it out to the canary that had been with him yesterday. The bird chirps contentedly before merrily pecking away at it.The canary looks so happy munching away at the bread, she thinks to herself, and it makes her wish she had a bit as well. Chrome watches with her single, violet eye, as Hibari lifts the loaf of bread that was now missing a corner and takes a bite out of it. He chews, swallows, before his eyes move in Chrome's direction.

**"Are you eating or not."** It isn't a question, but the words come out of Hibari more like a statement.

Chrome blinks. **"E-eating?"**

He picks up the spare loaf of bread and tosses it at her. She nearly drops it, but catches it in the nick of time. **"Don't waste food,"** he tells her. **"You, of all people, should know how valuable it is."**

And he's right; she knows exactly how precious food and water are. Who is she to waste any of it? Still, it makes her uncomfortable that this stranger has gone completely out of his way, opened up his "house" to her, and now he's brought her food again. But the canary sings a little tune, as if to encourage Chrome to take it. So she lifts the bread with her delicate hands and whispers, **"Th-thank you."**

She bites into it, and soon as the bread hits her tongue, she feels herself salivating. It's warm, the flesh of the food fluffy once her teeth break through the solid crust.

It's good.

It's very good...

She wonders why her vision is blurring.

**"Why are you crying?"**

Was that her? Were those her tears that she felt running down one side of her face? Chrome is quick to wipe them away with the back of her hand, sniffing slightly as she takes another bite of the bread.

**"Stop crying. Just eat."**

So she nods to those words, takes a few more bites, sniffling a little as she swallows. She doesn't know why she is crying, doesn't know what has caused the sudden tears. The canary hops over to her and lands on her knee, tilting its head on an incline as if to tell her "don't cry, it's only food." But she can't help herself, and her breathing becomes unsteady.

She doesn't notice Hibari disappear until he's returned with a Styrofoam bowl of water for her. He takes his leave as suddenly as he'd left. She is left on her own with the yellow canary on her knee, and as she finishes the remainder of the bread, she thinks to herself:

_I am lonely too._

Which is why, even after she finishes the bread and the water that Hibari left for her, she stays behind, still sitting on the floor with the canary on her knee. She should leave; she shouldn't trouble Hibari with her presence any more than she already has. But it occurs to her, perhaps, that she doesn't want to leave. Chrome thinks to herself, it's funny how she's spent the past year wondering if she'll find someplace that she was wanted, and once she finally finds somewhere that she isn't immediately driven out of, she feels guilty for overstaying her visit.

The only reassurance she has is that Hibari never told her to leave.

Unless, perhaps, he wasn't the type of person to waste time on stating something that should have been obvious. Chrome only needed one look at Hibari to tell that he, too, would have been considered a street rat.

She wipes at her eyes.

She should leave today.

And she would have left, if Hibari didn't suddenly materialize next to her and throw a beat-up pillow in her lap.

* * *

 

It's been a week and a half, and Chrome hasn't left yet. By now, she's picked up on Hibari's morning routine. He wakes at six in the morning to leave and scavenge for food. He returns back to the empty house by approximately eight. He eats breakfast with her, then disappears to who knows where. She doesn't see him until roughly twelve in the afternoon when he returns with their lunch.

One day, Chrome takes it upon herself to look for food too.

And it's only then that the girl realizes just how difficult it is to search for enough edible food to feed two mouths. She doesn't know how Hibari does it, but two hours have already elapsed, and she's found nothing, only fatigue to show for something, a result of having to flee after getting caught trying to pilfer food from open-air fruit stands.

And it's then that she thinks to herself, it must be difficult for him to work twice as hard to feed the two of them.

It would be easier if she disappeared, then.

Everything would be easier if you disappeared.

So she strengthens her resolve, tells herself that she isn't going back there. But after staying out for an hour, she thinks to herself, it's lonely out in the wide and unfriendly world. It's then that she circles back around at one in the afternoon, cautiously pushing the creaky door open.

**"Why are you tiptoeing around?"** comes a familiar voice. **"If you keep acting like an herbivore, I'll really kick you out."**

She gazes at the center of the living room where a sandwich is sitting on the cracked coffee table. Chrome hesitates, then steps entirely into the house, sitting down on the other side. She tilts her head, single eye blinking inquisitively.

**"H-Hibari-san?"** she asks. **"Where's yours?"**

**"Not hungry."**

**"A-are you sure? I-I'll, um, h-here, have some of mine!"**

**"I said I'm not hungry."**

There's that same, intense look in his gray eyes again, that expression that he puts on where she can't say "no", can't decline the offer (even if he was partially threatening it upon her). So she nods slightly, but tears off a corner of the bread and sets it on the table for the canary. The bird chirps, bright and cheery, landing on the table to peck away at the piece.

Hibari stands, announces, **"I'm taking a nap. Don't bother me."** With those final words, he takes his leave with Chrome sitting on her own finishing up the sandwich.

It's after she finishes eating that she wonders what exactly Hibari's room looks like. Is it as empty as the living room? But she pushes these thoughts away, and instead, decides that she will go and search for food while he is resting. She pats the canary on the head, wiping her mouth. **"Take care of Hibari-san. I-I'll be right back. U-um, I just want to go find some food for him too."**

She imagines that the canary's chirping is the bird's way of wishing her good luck.

There's a slight skip in her step as she wanders about town. The key is to look like you belong there, and blending in has always been something that Chrome was good at. Nobody paid attention to her; in this case scenario, that was ideal. She thinks to herself, luck must be on her side, because she's managed to swipe an apple inconspicuously while passing by the fruit stand she tried to rob just yesterday. Chrome slips the red fruit into her pocket, and after strolling by a few stores, breaks into a full-out dash.

Chrome smiles as she returns "home", humming proudly to herself. It's her first success in three days. She thinks about how proud he will be when she turns up with extra food for them. It's an apple, which will barely make for a small snack, but she imagines that Hibari will feel grateful because he had skipped lunch.

Except, Chrome pauses in the hallway and recalls his warnings about how angry he will be if she disturbs him. But by now, he must be fast asleep. So she presses onward, walking towards the second door on the left like she'd seen him disappear into so many times after breakfast.

What she doesn't expect is to see him curled up on the ground, off to the side, the only warmth provided by the black jacket that Hibari typically wore draped over his shoulders. There is not a bed to be seen, no couch, no cushion, no pillow (he must have given his to her).

She forgets to leave the apple by the door and, instead, turns on her heel to quickly return to the living room. She hadn't anticipated that Hibari had been giving her all the small comforts that he'd accumulated. But most of all, she didn't understand why he had done all of it. And it is then that she tells herself, she is leaving for sure today.

Chrome stops by the kitchen, fills another Styrofoam bowl with tap water, and drains the bowl of its contents.

She is leaving today.

She will not be back. She cannot continue taking what was his.

The canary sits on the coffee table in the living room, as if awaiting for Chrome's return. The girl pats the top of the bird's head with a single index finger. **"Be good, okay?"** she says.

The canary tilts its head at her, and Chrome pretends that the bird tells her, "I'll be good."

She disappears silently, like the mist that lifts after an unusually foggy morning.

* * *

 

She doesn't come back for two weeks.

He waits outside on the doorstep each day.

* * *

 

Chrome doesn't think that she'll ever see the canary with sunny feathers that lived with Hibari again. But one day, she's nibbling on a piece of bread (it makes her think of Hibari-san) while sitting under an awning to avoid the rain, when an urgent chirping catches her by surprise. She nearly chokes on the bread that she was in the process of swallowing.

**"L-little one?"** she calls out, and sure enough, Chrome recognizes the canary that perches on her shoulder. She gives the bird a small smile and pats its head with an index finger before tearing a piece of bread off for it. But when she offers the food to the bird, the canary turns its head, refusing to take any of it.

Something has gone wrong.

Chrome pats the canary's head again. **"I-is something wrong?"** she asks, as if the canary can speak.

But the bird says nothing, and instead, takes to the sky, circles twice above her head, before flying due north. She knows exactly where the bird is going. Her stomach sinks as she follows after the bird, and she doesn't understand why the canary had sought her out. It bothers her that it wouldn't eat when offered food, especially since, for the week and a half that she had stayed with Hibari, she had been the one to hand-feed the bird.

(Chrome doesn't notice it, but she's running despite the puddles.)

When she arrives "home", the bird's bizarre behavior suddenly makes sense. Everything falls into place, save for a stranger, a tall boy with a baseball cap on, who is holding an umbrella over --

**"H-Hibari-san?"**

She pushes past the newcomer as the bird lands on Hibari's shoulder. He's leaning against the door frame, cheeks flushed with fever, and Chrome thinks to herself that she doesn't remember him being that thin.

It looks almost as if he hasn't eaten in two weeks.

**"Maa, good thing I took the scenic way home,"** the tall boy says, shooting Chrome something of a smile. She doesn't understand why he looks so carefree.

**"I-I think he's sick,"** she says, voice choking up ever so slightly, flinching away when she feels just how warm his forehead is despite the rain. She's thankful for the rain today; nobody can tell that she has begun to cry if her face is flecked with raindrops too.

**"I knew something was wrong when he stopped coming to school a few months ago,"** the boy says. His smile is gone now, and it catches Chrome off guard just how serious he has become in such a short span of time. **"Take my umbrella for a second, will ya?"** She gives him a stiff nod as the boy easily lifts Hibari onto his back.

Hibari's eyes are closed and his breathing is labored. She notes that it looks like he isn't conscious.

**"We'll take him back to my place. Oyajii will know what to do,"** he says, and Chrome doesn't remember anything else from that day other than following the tall boy home, trying to hold his umbrella over the three of them. She has to stand a bit on her toes, even if the boy is slightly hunched over with Hibari on his back.

**"Ah, I don't mind if I get wet,"** he reassures her. **"A little bit of rain won't hurt me. I'm used to staying out late in the rain for baseball practice. Make sure the umbrella stays over Hibari-senpai! He's the one who needs it the most."**

**"H-Hibari-senpai?"** Though she's surprised by the fact that this boy knows Hibari's name, what she's most bewildered by is the fact that he calls him "senpai". She doesn't care about the water that's getting her shoes, only lifts a hand to stroke the concerned canary on her shoulder. **"D-do you know Hibari-san?"**

The boy tilts his head, and rain runs off the sides of his baseball cap's rim. Chrome thinks that, for a moment, the concerned look in the boy's brown eyes are gone and are replaced with (was it?) nostalgia. **"I knew something must have happened when Hibari-senpai stopped showing up to school. He would never miss a day of class under normal circumstances!"** Chrome couldn't help but shoot a quizzical glance in Hibari's direction. This unkempt boy, a teacher's pet?

No more words are exchanged once the two of them stop before a sushi restaurant.

* * *

 

Later, she learns his name is Yamamoto Takeshi.

Another week goes by. It's been seven days since Hibari was admitted to the local Namimori Hospital, and Chrome doesn't know how she'll ever be able to thank Yamamoto and his father for allowing her to sleep under their roof.

**"Chrome-chan, don't you have a home?"**

**"N-no, sir."**

**"Eh? Nowhere to go?"**

**"N-no, sir."**

**"Maa, I should have known something was strange when Takeshi told me that Kyoya stopped showing up to school."**

The Yamamotos had hand-waived any expense that Chrome would have racked up when Hibari had required professional medical care. It was funny how she felt that he was her responsibility, even if he was the older one, even if they weren't related to one another whatsoever, not sharing a single droplet of blood.

If it weren't for her, he wouldn't have been in this situation, she thinks to herself.

Perhaps it would have been best for everyone after all if she'd just disappeared.

She should have disappeared, just like her mother had told her to.

But Chrome learns, from Takeshi, that Hibari's parents, too, were shrouded in mystery. It wasn't uncommon for inaction to be taken when parents go missing, when parents are involved in an unexpected accident. It was possible, too, that Hibari had chosen not to admit himself into foster care due to not having any other living relatives.

She wonders if Hibari wishes that he could disappear as well.

**"Ah, Chrome?"** It's Yamamoto's voice that pulls her back to reality, and she lifts her head, desperately attempting to wipe the worried expression off her face. The last thing that she wants is for the people who have been so kind to her to be concerned. **"Come with me."**

She follows Yamamoto into the kitchen, where the rice pot is open and there is water boiling on the stove. She tilts her head ever so slightly. **"I was going to make some rice porridge to bring to Hibari-senpai,"** he announces with a grin. **"Ah, I thought you might want to help. I'll teach you, so maybe you can make some for him too while he's recovering."**

Chrome feels her single eye prickling with tears. It's funny how Yamamoto always knew how to make her feel better.

So she nods, somewhat stiffly, following his instructing as he asks her to carefully chop a few vegetables, reassuring her that she can work as slowly as she needs. She chops carrots and scallions, dices cooked fish into smaller pieces to throw into the pot as well. Chrome watches Yamamoto stir the concoction, occasionally tasting the food as he works. She watches, eagerly, single eye wide as he measures out soy sauce with a spoon and drops it in.

**"Here,"** he says to her, handing the wooden spoon over to Chrome. **"Take a taste. Memorize what it's like, so you can make it again!"**

She gives him a small nod, dipping the long-necked spoon shallowly into the rice porridge, blowing on its surface, then licking cautiously at the food.

**"I-it's very good,"** she says, gazing at Yamamoto in wonder. She was thoroughly impressed by how all those different ingredients were able to come together in a soup like this.

Her mother had never taught her how to cook.

But Chrome doesn't go to deliver the rice porridge to Hibari. Instead, she leaves that to Yamamoto.

She can't go see him.

If you hadn't left, he wouldn't be _sick_ like this.

The small voice buzzes around in her head: she can't do anything right; it's her fault that things had turned out this way.

Which was exactly why, two days later, Chrome is standing before the large pot, stirring at the rice porridge she made on her own, with a determined expression on her face. She lifts the wooden spoon to her lips and blows twice on it, just as she'd seen Yamamoto do. The porridge is too bland, she thinks to herself, but she doesn't want to risk adding more soy sauce either. And even if it isn't perfect, there is a hint of satisfaction and price glowing on her face at having made something on her own.

Quietly, she ladles some of the rice porridge into a flask and screws the lid shut. Chrome takes a deep breath, inhaling, then exhaling. She knows the way to Namimori Hospital by now, having gone plenty of times to visit Hibari with Yamamoto. Sometimes, she wonders just how close the two of them were, or how far back their history goes.

On the other hand, Yamamoto Takeshi seemed like a person who would go a mile for just about anyone.

She's already visited Namimori Hospital multiple times with Yamamoto, so Chrome finds that she has very little trouble finding the building. Living alone on the streets does have its benefits, she supposes. It meant that she knew Namimori's blueprints like the back of her hand, knew every nook and cranny, every abandoned building that could be used to take shelter from the rain. So she walks to the hospital with something that could be mistaken as confidence in her steps.

The secretary glances up at her as she walks through the hospital's automatic glass doors. She gives her name and announces that she's here to see Hibari (just like she's seen Yamamoto do so many times). The secretary notes that Hibari's fever hasn't gone away completely, and that he's been sleeping for the majority of the day as a side effect of his medication, but also because he didn't have the strength to do much else. But Chrome only gives the secretary a smile before setting off to see him.

So she isn't surprised to see that Hibari is fast asleep when she enters his room, closing the door as quietly as she can behind her. She tiptoes across the floor, setting the flask on his night table. Briefly, Chrome notes that he looks calm and at-ease while he's asleep, and he wears a relaxed expression that is unlike the intense one that she remembers from the first time they had met each other.

**"U-um, I'll leave this right here for you, H-Hibari-san,"**  she whispers, before turning on her heel to leave when --

**"I'm awake."**

The voice isn't very loud, but it unmistakably belongs to Hibari. She turns to face him again, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth.  **"U-um, I-I'm sorry if I woke you -- "**

But he doesn't let her finish her thought, and instead, says,  **"Pass me the flask."**  Even while recovering from near starvation, Chrome realizes that Hibari still has a commanding presence within a room, so she gives him a quick nod and grabs the flask, unscrewing it, then hands it to him. He shoots her an expectant expression once she's given him the flask when she suddenly remembers --

**"O-oh, um, h-here,"**  Chrome says, holding out a spoon that she'd brought with her in the plastic bag that had contained the flask of rice porridge. She watches while playing with the end of the new skirt she was wearing (Takeshi's father had bought her an entire new wardrobe, and she couldn't stop telling him just how much she appreciated it) as he scoops a little bit, blows on the surface, and takes his first bite. He repeats the process, never setting his spoon down until he's finished with the food.

She wonders if he likes his food slightly bland.

**"I-I'm glad you, u-um, y-you liked it,"**  she says, the words coming out haphazardly.

Hibari, being himself, responds with a simple answer of,  **"You made it for me. Why wouldn't I."**

Chrome doesn't know why, but she can feel herself swell a little with something like pride. She can feel a slight heat rising to her cheeks as she takes the flask and spoon back from Hibari. She doesn't make anymore casual conversation, because when she looks back, he's already fast asleep again.

Yamamoto had once told her that you can tell when a person has had a good meal if they appear relaxed, even better if they actually happen to fall asleep.

* * *

 

Five days later, Hibari comes home.

He doesn't come "home", but he comes  _home_. There is an extra futon in Yamamoto's room, and a second one in the guest room that Yamamoto's father had set out for Chrome. There is food on the table each day, and Chrome doesn't have to worry about where her next meal is coming from. The house is warm all the time, and Mr. Yamamoto is always there to ask her how her day went. Yamamoto tries to teach her baseball, and when she declines, he tries to get Hibari to play with him (to which Hibari insists that he will have absolutely nothing to do with the sport).

They even have their own pet, though Chrome isn't sure if she can call the canary a pet. If anything, the creature is her friend (she names the canary, affectionately, "Hibird", for it never strays too far from Hibari's side).

Yamamoto throws his arms over hers and Hibari's shoulders one day with a wide grin on his face.  **"How are you guys holding up?"**  he asks, to which Hibari kicks him away with an irritated expression on his face. Yamamoto only laughs and comments,  **"It's good to know that you're feeling better, senpai!"**

The only acknowledgement to the comment that Yamamoto gets is a muttered,  **"Herbivore,"**  under his breath. But Yamamoto laughs anyways, and Chrome finds herself laughing with him.

She thinks to herself, it's funny how things do, eventually, fall into place. Never would she have imagined that stumbling upon an abandoned house that was inhabited by a boy with gray eyes would have led her to a new home and a new family.

But Chrome is also smiling because Hibari is wearing a new, v-neck shirt that she had picked out for him.


End file.
